


strangers again

by mysterytwin



Category: Las Leyendas | Legend Quest (Cartoon)
Genre: Dreams, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Reincarnation AU, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 19:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15371787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysterytwin/pseuds/mysterytwin
Summary: Teo faced the front to greet the customer. Her heart dropped to her stomach.Leo.And there he was, warm eyes and messy hair and all. He stood in modern clothes—something that looked a bit off to her—and a bag rested on his shoulder through the strap. It was a change, really, and she stared at him now, with his jeans and faded blue hoodie. She blinked. He didn’t disappear. It wasn’t a dream.He was here.- - -Teodora bumps into Leo after years of not seeing him. He doesn’t seem to remember her. (Reincarnation & Coffee Shop AU)





	strangers again

**Author's Note:**

> hey so this fic is an absolute Mess and it's kinda cheesy but that's okay!! 
> 
> **timeline:** this fic takes place in a world where teodora went back for another adventure with everyone else (what would be season two) and then had to leave after it ended
> 
> [please watch this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsHDEfu8HSE) it's beautiful
> 
> hope you enjoy!!

The world was spinning.

But of course it was. It always did. That was simply part of physics, that the Earth revolved around the sun and spun on its axis, not once ever stopping. It was constant and factual. Everyone believed it because it made sense, and there was enough evidence to prove it. Along with it, the sun shone in the sky and the clouds moved by lazily. People kept on with their daily lives, laughing and living, and everything was fine. The world was spinning, just like it always did.

But for Teodora, the whole world seemed to pull to a stop for two exact seconds.

It started with green.

She was walking through the street, bumping into people every so often, her feet taking her past the traffic lights. She was going to be late for work if she didn’t hurry it up, and she needed all the money she could get. But it was a Monday morning, and there were other people with places to be; they were hurrying along the same as she was, and cars honked their horns in protest to the traffic.

Busy lives surrounded her, and she held herself tighter, phone clutched in one hand. It was a few more blocks until she made it to the coffee shop, but with all these people blocking her way, it proved to be a lot more difficult. She sighed, and looked toward the sky. It was going to rain soon, and she better be indoors by the time it does.

The streetlight flashed green and she stopped in her tracks, following behind a group of people. Most of them wore business suits, others school uniforms. While she was glad to be out of high school, she did miss it sometimes. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than the present, anyway.

Teodora crossed her arms and waited for the light to change.

It started with red.

Green then red, and Teodora began to make her way across the street. People were coming from the other side, and she did well to hold her belongings tighter. Vehicles waited on the other ends, engines revving and drivers impatient. She got caught up in looking at one of the flashy blue cars that she had accidentally bumped into someone—and although that wasn’t the first of the day, she turned around to see who it was to meet a familiar mop of brown hair turned away from her.

The world stopped.

A second, and he disappeared into the crowd. Teodora remained standing there, trying to catch a sight of him once more—but with no luck. He was gone—and not for the first time in her life, she was left alone.

Someone shoved her, and she blinked to realize she only had two seconds before the light changed back to green. Quickly, she walked to the sidewalk, still a bit dazed. Her foot hit the pavement and she cursed softly, walking to the edge as to not block the way. She lingered by the side, her eyes still on where he had possibly been only a few seconds prior.

It couldn’t have been him. It just couldn’t. It’s been years—far too long, in her opinion—and he wouldn’t be here, anyway. He had no reason to be, and in her timeline, he’s been dead for centuries. It couldn’t have been him.

Teodora shook her head and continued down the street, pushing back any thought that had lingered still about a boy with messy hair and warm brown eyes. He was the past, and she was living in the present.

And she needed to keep moving.

 

* * *

 

_“You’re leaving tomorrow,” Leo said, and it sounded so simple, like it was easy of her to do so; like she could just forget everything with a simple click. Like she had no other loose ends to find and fix._

_“Yeah,” but it didn’t sound like her. Too soft and too gentle, brushing against the world with the faintest touch. No, she was loud and brash and impulsive. She cared too much to for any of that._

_They sat in silence for moments after that, their heartbeats in sync as they watched the stars above. After tonight, she would disappear back into her own timeline. Everyone else would be together still—everyone except her._

_“You could stay,” he said suddenly, his voice small. It was almost like a question. “If you wanted to.”_

 

* * *

 

Sometimes, in the longest hours of work, it seemed as though the minutes weren’t even passing by, like time was standing still and refused to move at all. And it was absolutely difficult, especially when there was nothing else to do.

Teodora never liked people watching; she was more of the _subject_ of people watching, but it seemed it was all she could do right now. It was for the money, she reminded herself, and that was the only thing that counted.

She’d only started working in the coffee shop four months ago, and it wasn’t awful—but it wasn’t exciting, either. The best part was the free coffee if she came early enough, but that was a rare occurrence, truth be told. She’d had her fair share of rude customers and grumbling women about bad service, but it wasn’t too bad. Most of the time she had company, though she stood alone today, arms propped against the counter and palms supporting her head. Not perfect posture, but whatever. There was barely anyone in the shop, anyway.

A couple sat by the east booth, talking in hushed whispers and flushed glances. Whether it was a first date or some sort of study session wherein one of them had a crush on the other, she couldn’t really tell. It was one or the other, she supposed, but she also couldn’t be any more bothered. Seated toward the door, an elderly woman ate the cookies she had ordered slowly, her eyes gazing at the window as the raindrops raced to the ground. She seemed to be reminiscing, and Teo didn’t want to intrude. She understood the sentiment, at least. Finally, there, by the left corner, two men had their fingers interlocked underneath the table where they thought no one was looking. They seemed happy, and they had tipped her well earlier (a guaranteed way into her good books, no doubt).

She glanced at the clock behind her—it read 6:36, her shift wouldn’t be done for another hour—as the bell tinkled, signaling that someone had just entered. She braced herself for the newcomer—maybe they’d just come to get a coffee and leave. The worst case scenario was definitely someone chatty, and although she could hold up a conversation well enough if she wanted to, she wasn’t feeling it very much.

Teo faced the front to greet the customer. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

 _Leo_.

And there he was, warm eyes and messy hair and all. He stood in modern clothes—something that looked a bit off to her—and a bag rested on his shoulder through the strap. It was a change, really, and she stared at him now, with his jeans and faded blue hoodie. She blinked. He didn’t disappear. It wasn’t a dream.

He was here.

Leo was here.

Was the world still spinning?

Teodora blinked again. He was standing in front of the counter now, smiling a little sheepishly at her.

“What are you—”

“Can I have a coffee, please? Extra sugar?”

“What?” she blurted out. Is this really the first thing he was going to tell her? After all these years? Seriously?

“A coffee,” he repeated. “I want to order a coffee.”

His eyes seemed to just glaze over her, and with the force of being punched in the gut, time came to a screeching halt as she came to realize one fundamental truth: he didn’t recognize her. He didn’t _know_ her.

“Okay,” she said tensely. “A coffee. Yes. I can do that.”

“My name’s—”

“Leo.” Teodora wanted to strangle herself. She couldn’t just say things like that, especially if it wasn’t actually him.

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “That’s—my second name. I don’t usually go by it, but—how did you know?”

She was red by now, she was sure of it. “I—” she said, with a weak attempt at sounding casual. “Just a lucky guess?”

He seemed satisfied enough with that answer as he placed the money on the counter.

“It’ll be done in a bit,” she informed him, but it came of a little too weak. He nodded and went to take a seat to the left, leaving her confused still.

Teodora turned around to make his coffee— _that_ was simple. Never mind that her hands were shaking and she felt like she wasn’t even breathing.

Her mind was racing, and every memory of him was cramming itself into her mind—a fast paced series of events that overwhelmed each of her senses. She remembered everything thing: every single touch, smile, and look. She remembered, even if he didn’t.

 _You could stay_. A memory of stars seemed to hit her like a freight train. She was standing on a tightrope only to be thrown out of balance. Stars, a nervous laugh, and the smell of pine.

 _You could stay_. She didn’t.

The coffee finished and she turned back to the counter. She would call him, and it would probably be the last time she would see him again. This stranger—a stranger who took the same appearance and name.

“Leo,” she said loudly, holding the coffee. She watched him look up at her. Keep calm, she told herself.

Just because it should’ve been him doesn’t mean it _was_.

“Thanks,” he said as he took the cup. He turned to leave.

“Wait,” she said suddenly, her heart in her throat. He looked at her expectantly, and she felt her mouth go dry. “Are you—have we met before? Somewhere?”

It was a plea, a last resort. He had to remember. God, he _had to_.

He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”

Teodora’s face fell. “Oh. Okay. You just look—familiar, that’s all. Like someone I used to know. I—never mind. Enjoy your coffee.”

He nodded curtly, and Teodora only watched him go, with no more idea about her than when he had entered.

She fished her phone out of her pocket and opened an old photo—one she had taken years before. It was of the whole group, with Marcela’s picture perfect smile, Don Andres’s shiny armor, Alebrije’s colorful grin, her own blazing red hair, and Leo’s beaming face. The last day; she’d taken it as a remembrance.

She looked closely at the digital version of him and compared it to the same boy from earlier. The resemblance was uncanny. But he didn’t recognize her, so it couldn’t have been him. Unless, of course, he forgot all about her.

Magic was a tricky thing, and it was definitely possible.

 _You could stay_. The memory repeated in her head, and she sighed. She didn’t stay. Instead, she was here, in her own timeline. She chose not to stay because this was where she belonged. This was her world.

He lived in his own. Two different timelines, and she didn’t dare to dream that they would ever cross again.

Teodora glanced at the couple again. They were still talking. It was like nothing had happened at all. Resuming her position from earlier, Teodora shut her eyes briefly.

Maybe it was for best. Maybe they were better off strangers again.

 

* * *

 

_“You could stay,” he said suddenly, his voice small. It was almost like a question. “If you wanted to.”_

_His eyes never left her, not once, even when she refused to look at him. She felt too much for him, and if she were to even spare one glance at him, she knew she would never go back._

_“I could,” she agreed, but there was no emotion to it. Not an agreement, or laced with slow hesitation. Just a statement. That was all there was to it._

_“But you don’t want to.”_

_She only looked once, quickly enough for her to say three words._

_“I don’t know.”_

 

* * *

 

The universe, on the other hand, thought otherwise.

Leo was in the coffee shop again two weeks later, slouched over papers and a laptop, looking like he was on the verge of falling asleep. She’d just entered her shift, but it seemed he was already there much earlier than that. She could relate to the feeling at least; she had a paper due within the week and she hadn’t started on it very much.

She did her best to ignore him, but it proved hard when there wasn’t anything else to do. Customers drifted by every few minutes, and it was enough for only brief moments. Her eyes darted back to him against her own will—and she marveled on how he was _right there_ , and she couldn’t do anything about it. That wasn’t the Leo she knew.

She sighed, wiped the counter clean of crumbs, and kept looking. He was sleeping now, and if she listened hard enough, she could make out tiny snores. There were bags under his eyes, too. He looked so peaceful, so gentle, and it was almost to convince her that it truly was him.

Without thinking about it too much, Teodora took out a slice of chocolate cake and a cup of coffee. She placed both on a tray, grabbed a post-it, and scribbled a note on it. Quickly, she took the tray and settled it on the corner of Leo’s table.

She then left without a single word, and took her position behind the counter once more. She only had half an hour until her shift ended. Maybe he would wake up before she left.

(He didn’t. He was still snoring as she walked by, a little dismayed. Teodora didn’t think much of it and went home to finish up her essay.)

(When he _did_ wake up, it was almost like a dream, finding free food. The cake was heavenly, and the coffee was fantastic. The note—which read _You looked like you could use a break. It’s on the house. x Teodora_ —was held in his fingertips. It was a boy who stood behind the counter now, so whoever gave this to him—Teodora—must already be gone. He sighed. He’ll just have to come back again to thank her—to find her, all by chance.)

(That night, he dreamed of a flicker of blazing red hair and a pink ribbon. He wasn’t sure what it meant.)

 

* * *

 

The thing about dreams was that it was easy for her to tell whether they were real or not. Things seemed to rearrange themselves differently, and colors got all mixed up, palettes mixed with shadows. Some parts were distorted, and voices were muddled and unclear. There were always more shadows than usual; darkness always came faster than the light.

This time was far easier than others. And it was simply because Marcela was sitting on her bed, her eyes staring at a book on her lap.

“Hey,” Teodora said, and lied down on the bed, her head aligned with where her friend sat. “Haven’t seen you in a while. How are you?”

Marcela smiled. “Oh, you know. Here and there. Not much to do, really. I’ve been reading a lot, though. Mostly modern ones. They’re very…interesting.”

“Couldn’t be more any interesting about the books in your time,” she retorted, spreading her arms wide. She blew out a breath. “You wanna know the weirdest thing that’s happened to me recently?”

“If it can’t beat the Incident of April First, is it really weird?” Marcela said with an amused smirk, as she closed her book.

“Fair point,” Teodora said with a grin. “But seriously? It is kinda weird. Like, spirit level weird.”

“Well? Go on!”

“I think I saw Leo,” she admitted, and it felt weird saying it out loud. “Like, here. In my timeline. In a coffee shop, twice.”

Marcela didn’t even blink. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean ‘that’s it’?” she asked, sitting up now to look at her friend properly. “This is big! There’s some guy out there who looks and sounds exactly like him! It could’ve been him, except—”

Marcela raised an eyebrow and leans forward. “Except what?”

She sighed. “Except he doesn’t recognize me. Or know me at all. It’s just some guy who looks like him. You know what? Never mind, this is stupid.”

“No, it isn’t,” she reassured her, scooting forward to take one of her hands. “It’s perfectly reasonable. You saw your old crush again and—”

“Hold on. What?” Teodora stopped, and she was sure she was blushing. “ _Crush_? What _crush_?”

Marcela shrugged. “I mean, I always thought it was obvious. Or did you not like him—?”

“No, I did!” Teodora blurted out, and she immediately clamped her hands over her mouth. She really need to think before she spoke; this routine of embarrassment was getting old—and frankly, she was tired of it. “I mean—no—I—”

“It’s okay,” Marcela said softly. “I don’t mind.”

“I mean—that was _years_ ago, I don’t like him anymore. Plus, it was just a tiny, harmless one, it didn’t mean anything, I swear.”

She laughed softly, her head tilting back slightly and her cheeks a rosy color. “Teo, relax. It’s fine. Leo and I broke up a little after you left, and I’m over it. I really, really don’t mind. I actually support you.”

Teodora gaped. “You’re—you’re serious?” She always thought Leo and Marcela were the end game, the last ones standing. And yet, things really did change without her.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal,”—she waved a hand of dismissal—“the only thing that matters is that you treat him right. You both mean a lot to me, you know that?”

She smiled. “Thanks, Marcela. And anyway, all of it is in the past. Doesn’t matter anymore.”

“But I thought you said you saw Leo? Aren’t you going to go after him?”

Teodora pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin upon it. “It’s—it’s not him. I’ve told you that already.”

“But you want it to be, don’t you?”

“Maybe,” she answered softly—honestly. “I mean, no offense, but you’re not even real. And just because I want it to be him doesn’t mean it is. It’s just like how this is just a dream. It’s just all in my head.”

“But just because it’s in your head doesn’t mean it isn’t real, Teo,” Marcela told her patiently. “I learned that one from Harry Potter. Have you read it?”

“Of course I’ve read it,” she mumbled, settling down back on the bed. She sighed, and buried her face in her hands. “Which makes it even more frustrating because I know you’re right.”

She placed a hand on her shoulder, warm and reassuring. “He went to find you. Just like you did, all those years ago. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”

“I never could.” Teo looked up. “So you think it’s him?”

She shook her head lightly. “I _know_ it’s him.”

“Then what do I do now? He doesn’t remember me.”

“He never forgot you. I know this, because I never did, too. And he cared about you more than anyone else did. That’s the only reason he would’ve came all this way to find you. Maybe he just depended on your stubbornness to try to bring his memories back.”

Teodora remained silent. Leo came looking for her. It seemed so bleak and unlikely, but she was willing to believe it.

“Fine,” she said at last. “Okay. I’m going to try to bring him back.”

Marcela grinned. “That’s my girl.”

 

* * *

 

The third time was an accident. Meaning, he found her first.

He slid into the chair across her, a sandwich in hand as she chewed on her own lunch. She sputtered the moment she realized who it was, choking for a moment. She took her water and drank.

“Oh my god, you can’t just do that!” she exclaimed, water bottle still in hand. “I could’ve died!”

He only rolled his eyes. “But you didn’t.”

It was then that Teodora remembered that Leo didn’t know her as she knew him. It sure as hell felt like it, though.

Play it simple, cool. Unknowing.

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Do I know you?”

“You seemed to know me already the first time we met,” he said, and she turned pink. “The coffee shop a couple of blocks away? You’re Teodora, right?”

She nodded shortly. “Yeah. Why?”

Her mind was racing. Could he possibly remember? Did he know who she was?

“Thank you,” he said slowly, placing both hands on the table, “for the cake and the coffee.”

“Oh.” She remembered their last encounter. “Right. Yeah. No big deal, you looked awful.”

“Well, thanks,” he retorted dryly.

“How did you find me, anyway?” Teodora leaned forward, her arms still crossed supporting her on the table. _And how did you remember it was me?_

“I remembered the first day, and your name was on your name tag. From your note, I put two and two together, asked around about you here and in the shop—there’s not a lot of redheads around anymore—and I accidentally found you here,” he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wanted to…thank you.”

“And you did.”

“Right.” He drummed his fingers on the table, and she could tell he was trying to think of something to say. “Is—are there any job openings in the shop?”

“What?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “You mean—you want to work there? Instead of snoozing all over one table for several hours, you actually want to be the one behind the counter who has to clean up the said snoozer’s mess?”

He shrugged, and he looked defensive, raising his arms in surrender. “Yes? I mean—it doesn’t look too bad, and I definitely need the money.”

She gave him a pointed look, but there was a smile growing on her face she couldn’t help. “You are so weird, Leo.”

“You know that’s know what people usually call me by, right?”

She tilted her head to her side. Oh, she knew. She’d internalized it too many times not to remember. “Yes,” she answered slowly, as she flicked a piece of lettuce at him, “but I’m going to call you that anyway. It suits you.”

“My _abuela_ always said I was named after a lion,” he told her off-handedly. “I never really got why.”

“I can’t really see it much, either,” she teased, but Teodora understood why. She wasn’t there for the lion to defeat the serpent, but she heard stories. And that was enough. “Your arms are like noodles.”

“Hey!” he exclaimed, but he was grinning. “I take offense to that.”

“Sure you do.”

He pouted, and she laughed.

“You look ridiculous.”

“ _You’re_ ridiculous.”

“I learned from the best, then.”

“You’ve only known me since, like, today,” he pointed out, eyes narrowing. There was still a light-hearted smile etched on his face—he didn’t understand. He didn’t know.

But she did, and it felt like falling after a long climb with nothing to catch you at the bottom.

“Right,” she forced out with a weak smile.

He seemed oblivious to her hesitation, which was fine by all means.

“So, seriously? Are there any job openings?”

Teodora thought about it. It wouldn’t be too bad to have him around, and she told Marcela she would try to jog his memory—if spending more time with him would do the trick, then she would do it gladly.

“I think so,” she said, nodding a little. “You can pass by later; manager’s gonna be there, so you can ask. It’ll…it’ll be nice working with you, I guess.”

“I guess?”

“I mean, like you said, I don’t know you very well.” _A lie_. “You could be some creep for all I know.”

He laughed, and she remembered how much she loved the sound of it: bells and wind chimes, unapologetic no matter what. She missed it.

Leo started to get up. “Well, I have a class in ten minutes—but I’ll see you around?”

She waved. “Yeah. You’ll see me. I hope you get the job, you dork.”

He bowed, and she laughed. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

 

* * *

 

_“I don’t know.”_

_For the first time that night, he looked away. His eyes were on the sky, just like hers were, and she feels her heart sink. She resolves to one thing, and takes a deep breath. This was her last night. Might as well make the most of it._

_She took his hand._

_The stars were beautiful._

_“I’ll come and visit,” she whispered. “I promise.”_

_It was a promise she knew she couldn’t keep._

 

* * *

 

teodoratheexplorer

> hey nerd
> 
> you forgot your jacket at the shop
> 
> i took it w me so i can give it to you tomorrow
> 
> unless you don't want it
> 
> bc it is very soft
> 
> and i would be a better owner
> 
> i'd take care of it (unlike you)

leothelion

> Is this a jacket competition
> 
> Also yes thank you
> 
> Unfortunately I want it back :((
> 
> It’s the only decent one I have and I’m attached

teodoratheexplorer

> LIES
> 
> oh yeah?? you come in wearing a different jacket every day
> 
> and like 48% of them are decent
> 
> the others are just……Not
> 
> don’t ever wear the neon pink one ever again
> 
> for humanity’s sake
> 
> destroy that monstrosity
> 
> if i ever see it again i will be compelled to burn it
> 
> this may sound like i'm joking
> 
> but i'm not
> 
> i'm really not

leothelion

> Okay okay I won’t wear it in your presence ever again don’t worry
> 
> What do you have against it??? What did it ever do to you?

teodoratheexplorer

> many things leo
> 
> its just Wrong ok
> 
> also hey im on closing duty tomorrow wanna eat the leftover cookies w me??

leothelion

> That’s the best thing you’ve ever said to me

teodoratheexplorer

> yeah yeah i know im amazing no need to point it out
> 
> but also
> 
> warning: this invitation is, of course, taken away if you wear that stupid jacket
> 
> rights to friendship w me are also taken away
> 
> be prepared to forfeit them the moment i see u in that awful hoodie
> 
> especially if u paired them w that One pair of shorts u have
> 
> you know what im talking about

leothelion 

> That’s really extreme but I think I get it Teo
> 
> You need not worry
> 
> Do you think we’ll be able to steal some milk to go with them??

teodoratheexplorer

> definitely

 

* * *

 

“These are,” she started as she dipped her cookie into the milk, “a lot better when you’re not supposed to be eating them.”

Leo hummed in agreement, leaning against the counter. A plate of cookies and a glass of milk were laid next to him. Happily, he took another bite of his cookie. “Why is that?”

“Why’s what?” She was sitting on the tabletop, legs crossed.

He shrugged. “You know, when someone’s eating fries next to you and you ask for one and it’s suddenly the best one you’ve ever tasted? Food always tastes better when it’s not yours.”

“That,” she said, raising her glass, “is the truest statement I’ve ever heard.”

“Right?” he said, and he propped himself up to sit next to her. “It’s just unfair.”

She shook her head. “Plain cruel.”

“For example,” he said, and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, “if I were to take a cookie of yours—”

“Hey!”

“—and eat it,” he continued, as he popped the cookie into his mouth, “it would taste a lot better than mine.”

She rolled her eyes and snatched a cookie from his plate. “It’s dumb, but you’re right.”

“Aren’t I always?”

“Don’t flatter yourself like that, it’s painful to watch,” she told him dryly before taking a gulp of milk. “What would we do if a customer walked in right now?”

“It’s almost midnight, _and_ it’s Halloween,” he stated. “No one sane would be here. They’d be out partying.”

“And yet you’re here,” she pointed out.

“That I am,” was all he said.

“Why?” she asked softly. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know or not. “You could be getting yourself drunk at this very moment, but you’re not. You’re here, eating cookies instead.”

“Well, I’m here with you for one,” he said, and his voice was quieter.

“That’s different,” she said. “I _need_ to be here. I’m closing this place.”

“ _You_ asked me to be here,” he told her. “And I wanted cookies, is that so wrong?”

She smiled faintly. “I guess not.”

“Besides, if a customer came in, we could just hide and pretend we’re not here.”

She snorted. “That’s a terrible idea,” she said, shaking her head, “but I guess it’ll have to do.”

Leo beamed. “Sounds like a plan, then.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Hey, can I ask you something?” he asked, and he held up a finger before she could say anything. “And don’t say I already am because I’ve heard that one too many times already.”

She shut her mouth and repressed a smile. “Fine, yeah. Go on.”

“When we met, you said I looked like someone you used to know. And—well, I was kinda curious about who it was,” he explained sheepishly. His ears were tinted pink in embarrassment.

“Oh.” Teodora hoped she looked calm. Inside, she was panicking. He didn’t just _remind_ her of someone—he was _the_ someone. He was Leo. Her friend, in both timelines. She thought back to Marcela and what she said— _he went to find you_. It wouldn’t hurt, would it? “Yeah. Okay. That’s fine. For a second, I thought you’d ask me something really honest and we’d have some weird heart-to-heart session.” She forced out a laugh.

He smiled. “Yeah. I know, I know, curiosity killed the cat—”

“But satisfaction brought it back,” she finished with a smile—a real one. Teodora took her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her photos before finding the right one. This one just had the two of them making funny faces at the camera, and Leo’s arm was around her shoulders. She felt a pang in her heart. “Here.”

Leo looked at the photo, but she couldn’t understand his expression. There were too many emotions at once—but she knew that confusion was definitely somewhere there.

“His name was Leo,” she told him.

A little part of her hoped that _this_ would be what brought him back to her. Maybe this would be it.

“Uh, wow, we really do look alike,” Leo said simply, and her heart dropped. Oh. “No wonder you looked so surprised to see me.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, feeling something pricking at her. It felt wrong wrong wrong. She had to try. “You don’t—you’re really sure we haven’t met before?”

Leo looked at her grimly and shook his head. “Sorry. Why? What happened to him?”

“We fell out of touch,” she said quickly. It wasn’t exactly a lie; she didn’t keep her promise, and hasn’t seen any of them since (Marcela didn’t count, since it was a dream). “I don’t know where he is.”

“But you miss him.”

She didn’t need to think twice. “Yeah. I do.” Teodora looked at him—looked at him _fully_ —and found that her heart was racing. She missed him, missed _them_ and what they used to be (not this awkward, stumbling mess of a beginning friendship). It had to be him. Marcela told her so. He had to be in there somewhere. She just needed to find him.

“I’m—”

A customer walked in at that very moment, and Leo dropped off the counter. She did the same, putting on a fake smile. It was a man pushing his sixties, with a growing mustache and wrinkles in his eyes.

“Excuse me, my dear, but this is where one can order a cup of coffee, yes?” he asked, and his choice of words struck a cord of familiarity, almost like—

“Yes,” she said instead, before she let herself finish that thought. One step at a time. “Is there anything you’d like to order?”

The man shook his head, and placed the money on the counter—she loved it when people paid exact, it made things so much easier—as she turned to make his order. She could feel Leo’s eyes on her as she did so.

She turned to him with hands on her hips. “What?”

“You said we’d hide,” he said with a crack of a smile. His eyes were warm and brown, solid as the ground, with tiny green flecks in them. Teodora felt something tug at her heartstrings.

“Well, he already saw us, so it was pointless, don’t you think?”

The coffee was done, and she handed it over to the man.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. He left, leaving a gust of cold wind to trail inside.

“That was a bit weird,” Leo said behind her.

“What about it?” Did he mean that the old man eerily reminded him of Don Andres?

Leo tilted his head. “Is it just me, or do old people just come here at midnight regularly?”

Teodora smiled amusedly. “I’ve seen weirder things.”

“Now _that’s_ concerning,” Leo said with a smirk.

Teodora rolled her eyes and checked the clock for time. 12:03. “Well, this place is officially closed. Come on, help me out.”

“Yes, ma’m,” Leo teased, and she grinned at him.

There was a lot of work to do.

 

* * *

 

_“Well, I’ll see all of you around,” she said, as tears fought their way in. She held one bag in  her hand, and her phone in the other. “Try not to miss me so much, yeah?”_

_Marcela hugged her tightly. “Too late for that, I think.”_

_Don Andres came next, then Alebrije. They were her friends for a really long time, and she owed them a lot._

_“You’ll be okay?” Alebrije asked, looking a bit worried._

_“Just fine, don’t worry about me. Watch out for yourself, okay? Keep out of trouble.”_

_“Trouble? Teo, I would never!”_

_She laughed, and it felt good._

_Leo was last. He hugged her, and she returned it._

_“I’ll miss you,” he murmured in her ear. “Come and visit any time, really.”_

_“I’ll try my best,” she said as she let go. “Don’t go breaking Marcela’s heart or you’ll hear from me personally. I don’t know how, but if I ever find out, you’re going to be in big trouble, you hear?”_

_“What a warm goodbye,” he muttered._

_Teodora ignored that and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll never forget you, you dork.”_

_They all stood across her now. “Well, this is it. You guys—you guys are like my family, and it’s going to be hard without you. I’m going to miss all of you so much. Good bye.”_

_If she’d known that she would never see any of them again, maybe she would never have thought of leaving._

 

* * *

 

They finished up closing the shop in the span of fifteen minutes. They were standing outside the doors, the moon and stars shining above them. The air was cold, and Teodora held her jacket tighter to herself.

“Well,” she said, “it was nice hanging out with you. Thanks for coming.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” he told her. “How can you say no to free cookies, right?”

She grinned. “Yeah, it’s not possible at all.”

Leo extends a hand. “If I ever get closing duty, I’m definitely inviting you.”

“Deal.” She holds out her own hand to shake his.

The moment they made contact, Teodora felt the world disappear. A series of memories flashed through her mind—each one in vibrant, vivid colors. There’s the very first day they met, the day they fought Medusa, the day of her sacrifice, the day she came back after waking up from her coma, the adventure that followed, the last night, her goodbye, and so much, much more. It was everything: every little detail she’d thought of and memorized. It was _them_.

“Teodora?”

She looked at him, and he was staring at her as though for the first time. And she knew that he _remembered_ , saw the same things she did. He remembered—he _knew_ her. It was breathless and excited all at once, the way he said her name. He was here. She found him.

“Leo?”

“Teodora!” And he was embracing her, fierce and gentle at the same time. She laughed, and held him just as he did, her arms around his neck. “It’s you!”

“It’s you!” she echoed, beaming. “It really is you!”

“You’re here—”

“I can’t believe—”

“How did you—”

“Marcela, she told me—”

“I came to find you—”

“And you did.” She felt dizzy, and it was like nothing could bring her down. But there were things in order; there were some things she needed to say, and things to get things off her chest.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I never came back. It was just—it was hard. A lot of my mom’s savings went into my hospital bill, and I needed to work harder to be able to afford college, and I couldn’t just leave—”

“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “I understand.”

“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I know I promised, and—”

“Teo,” he called gently, his hands settling on her shoulders. “It’s okay.”

She hesitated, then she nodded. “Thank you.”

“I never really gave up on you,” he told her, raw and honest. “After you left, you never came back, and I realized that I just needed to see you once more. It was worth it. _You_ were worth it.”

She flushed pink, but Leo didn’t seem to notice.

(He did, though, and he would never tell her, but she looked like a glowing sunset.)

“What does that mean for us, then?” It was like she was on a tightrope again, wondering how far the bottom was, and if there was anything there to catch her. 

“If it’s okay,” he said, “we could go for a coffee. With neither of us working, of course. We could just talk.”

She nodded and smiled. “That sounds good. Really good.”

“You think so?”

Teodora pressed her forehead to his. “I know so.”

 

* * *

 

The world shifted, and Teodora found herself in her bedroom, standing by the window. She turned around.

“You were right, you know,” she said, “about everything. Thank you for that.”

Marcela looked up from her book and smiled. “You’re welcome.”


End file.
